Flow-Induced Stress Analysis of a Large Francis Turbine Under Different Loads in a Wide Operation Range

Francis turbines, being widely used in hydropower plants, operate under different loads which significantly affect their hydraulic characteristics and structural dynamics. It is essential to carry out the flow-induced dynamics analysis of the large prototype Francis turbines under different loads in a wide load operation range to optimize the hydraulic performance, ensure structural reliability, and prevent mechanical failure. This work analyzes the flow-induced dynamics of a large Francis turbine prototype with a rated power of 46 MW. Computer-aided design (CAD) models of the Francis turbine unit are first constructed, including the fluid and structural domains. After generating the computational meshes of the flow passages in the Francis turbine unit, Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations are carried out under four typical operating conditions from 25% load to 100% load, and the pressure files obtained from CFD calculations are applied to the finite element model to analyze the flow-induced stresses of the runner. The results show that the pressure inside the Francis turbine runner decreases gradually from the spiral case to the draft tube under 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% loads, but the local pressure distribution in the crown chamber of the Francis turbine unit varies under different loads. The locations of the maximum stress of the runner under the four different operating conditions vary with the power output. The flow-induced maximum stress of the runner at 25% load is located on the chamfer of the connection between the blade trailing edge and the crown. But from 50% load to 100% load, the maximum stress of the runner appears on the chamfer of the connection between the blade leading edge and the band. From 25% load to full load, the maximum stress of the unit is one-fifth of the yield stress of the runner material, and the runner will not be damaged during normal use. The calculation method with a fully three-dimensional fluid–structure interaction (FSI) method and the conclusions proposed in this study can provide important references for the design and evaluation of other hydraulic turbine units.